
A parent might reach for this book when they suspect their middle-schooler is struggling with body image, hiding their eating habits, or failing to process the heavy grief of losing a parent. Perfect follows thirteen-year-old Isabelle Lee as she navigates the secret world of bulimia following her father's death. While her mother tries to maintain a facade of normalcy, Isabelle finds an unexpected ally in the most popular girl in school, who shares her secret struggle. It is a raw and honest look at the pressure to be perfect and the messy process of healing. This book is best suited for ages 11 to 15, offering a realistic window into eating disorder recovery and the importance of professional support. Parents will appreciate how it breaks the silence around mental health while showing that recovery is a slow, non-linear journey.
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Sign in to write a reviewCharacters lie and hide behaviors from parents and authority figures.
Occasional middle school level profanity and harsh insults.
The book deals directly and graphically with bulimia, grief, and self-harming behaviors. The approach is secular and starkly realistic. The resolution is hopeful but realistic: Isabelle isn't 'cured' by the last page, but she has begun the work of recovery and opened up to her mother.
A middle school student who feels the crushing weight of high expectations or who is using physical control to manage emotional pain. It is perfect for a child who feels like an outsider and needs to know that even 'perfect' people have hidden battles.
Parents should preview the scenes detailing the mechanics of purging to ensure their child is ready for such graphic descriptions. The book should ideally be read with an adult available for check-ins. A parent might choose this after finding evidence of purging, noticing a child's obsessive focus on calories, or seeing a child withdraw into 'perfectionism' following a family tragedy.
Younger readers (11-12) may focus more on the social dynamics and the shock of the 'perfect' girl's secret. Older readers (14-15) will better grasp the nuances of the mother's grief and the complexity of the recovery process.
Unlike many 'issue books' of the early 2000s, Perfect avoids being a 'how-to' manual. It focuses deeply on the 'why'—linking the disorder to unprocessed grief and family communication breakdowns.
After the death of her father, 13-year-old Isabelle Lee begins using bulimia as a way to cope with her grief and the feeling that her life is spiraling out of control. Her mother, also grieving, sends her to a therapy group where Isabelle discovers that the seemingly perfect Ashley Barnum is also struggling with an eating disorder. The story follows their tentative friendship and Isabelle's slow realization that she needs real help to survive.
This overview was generated by AI based on the book's content and reviews, and may not capture every nuance.